Segment Information (Details) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) segment state	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) region	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) segment state	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of states in which home building segments operate | state		13			13
Number of regions in which entity operates | segment		3			3
Number of homebuilding segments | region			3
Total revenue		$ 385,607		$ 299,359	$ 730,056	$ 565,123
Total operating income (loss)		3,030		6,436	12,178	(3,054)
Depreciation and amortization		3,056		2,781	6,047	5,122
Excess Insurance Recovery					3,600
Capital Expenditures					6,017	7,478
Total Capital Expenditure, cash and noncash					6,017	7,478
Assets		2,333,741	$ 2,421,203		2,333,741
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating income (loss)		34,998		23,394	66,588	31,313
Depreciation and amortization		2,513		2,330	4,977	4,250
West Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue		179,930		115,381	337,126	202,846
Total operating income (loss)		18,927		10,599	35,713	17,382
Depreciation and amortization		1,332		1,265	2,550	2,032
Capital Expenditures					2,906	2,659
Assets		857,178	843,564		857,178
East Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue		106,835		103,179	207,392	207,992
Total operating income (loss)		8,333		5,744	12,480	13,113
Depreciation and amortization		634		526	1,431	1,194
Capital Expenditures					1,273	2,067
Assets		412,276	436,346		412,276
Southeast Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue		98,842		80,799	185,538	154,285
Total operating income (loss)		7,738		7,051	18,395	818
Depreciation and amortization		547		539	996	1,024
Capital Expenditures					1,622	1,899
Assets		352,895	317,295		352,895
Corporate and unallocated
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating income (loss)		(31,968)		(16,958)	(54,410)	(34,367)
Depreciation and amortization		543		$ 451	1,070	872
Capital Expenditures					216	853
Assets	[1]	$ 711,392	$ 823,998		$ 711,392
FLORIDA | Specific Warranty Issue
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product warranty expense						$ 13,600

[1] Primarily consists of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, deferred taxes, capitalized interest and indirects and other items that are not allocated to the segments.